The Other Opioid Crisis: Hospital Shortages Lead To Patient Pain, Medical Errors Even as opioids flood American communities and fuel widespread addiction, hospitals are facing a dangerous shortage of the powerful painkillers needed by patients in acute pain, according to doctors, pharmacists and a coalition of health groups. Read More... March 19, 2018 Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Raise taxes or ration health care? Why single-payer won't work in California. Yet Betty Doumas-Toto's health insurance premium rose nearly 48 percent in January, to $800 per month for an Affordable Care Act plan. She and her husband are both Los Angeles freelancers in the film industry and are draining their savings trying to keep up with their monthly payments. A Pomona mother of five named Claudia, who is undocumented, can't get health insurance because of her immigration status. She's losing her hearing, but can't afford tests a doctor ordered because the costs are too high. At an elder care home in the Sacramento ... March 13, 2018 Insurance 0 0 Comment Read More »
Villaraigosa is right, single-payer healthcare in California is a political pipe dream Antonio Villaraigosa thinks he has a solid weapon to hammer Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom with as they run for governor. And he probably does. It's Newsom's strong support for creating a state-run, single-payer health insurance program. Read More... March 13, 2018 General, Medicare, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
How Long Are You Contagious With The Flu? It's shaping up to be one of the worst flu seasons in years. If you are one of the thousands of Americans who are sick with the flu, this one's for you. You've spent the past couple of days cooped up in your house watching bad TV, fighting the fever sweats and expelling a baffling amount of mucus. As you start to resemble a human being again, you might feel pressure to head back to work. But when is it really OK to return? Many people go back as soon as their ... February 21, 2018 Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Anthem Calls On Eye Surgeons To Monitor Anesthesia During Cataract Surgery If you need cataract surgery, your eye surgeon may have to do double duty as your anesthetist under a new policy by health insurer Anthem. In a clinical guideline released this month, the company said it’s not medically necessary to have an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist on hand to administer and monitor sedation in most cases. Read More February 21, 2018 Anthem, Blue Cross, Insurance 0 0 Comment Read More »